From Chains to Magnets
The Comforting Bliss Shou's night with Sayama had gone perfectly excellent. Though the choice of their get-together was unique and certainly odd, they had certainly been enjoying themselves every step of the way. Even now, he could easily picture the way they were laughing and joking with one another. Sayama herself had been more of the boisterous type, while he himself always kept a restrained position. Idly, he had wondered if he had come off as too "stony" the whole time, but after thinking about it, she hadn't seemed to complain one bit. Yes, they had enjoyed themselves throughout the night. And of course, Shou's prediction beforehand had come true. Now, as he found himself waking up, his arms wrapped around her body and holding her close. They had rid themselves of their fabric barriers in order to bind themselves to each other. Whatever doubts had been easily wiped away by the bouts of pleasure they shared with their own flesh. Now, the deal was sealed; any backing out would leave a permanent scar on the other, one that would never heal. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to lay there and keep her for a little longer. If only moments such as these could last forever. Such fantasies weren't fit for reality. "Ugh... What time is it...?" The woman he shared his embrace with stirred in his arms, her eyes opening suddenly, then blinking slowly, adjusting to the new light in the room. She didn't leave his grasp, but would soon. As she began to speak, hints of grogginess laced her voice. "Let's go, honey... we've got to get up early... I don't want to get into the habit of sleeping in." She slurred, patting her lover's cheek in an attempt to help him wake. It triggered the rest of what was needed in order to stir him awake. Breathing softly, he allowed himself to blink several times in order to force grogginess out of his eyes. Then, in a slow manner, he managed to sit himself up, his lower half covered by the sheets. She was right, of course - he had to be ready for duty as soon as possible, nothing more, nothing less. Temptations were often strong, but they would have to be resisted, wouldn't they....? Then again, they probably woke up early, anyway. It was his sleeping pattern, after all.... but, he couldn't say the same for her.... Slipping out from the covers, the woman stumbled around for a few moments before noticing something embarassing. "You didn't take any of my clothes with you... Right? That means that the clothes I was wearing yesterday are the only ones I have." Slowly, she turned to him, nude. "You didn't plan this, I hope." He craned his head towards her. A rather devilish grin came across his features. "I don't know, Makoto-san...." He answered casually. "If anything, I think you look good as you are." He was resisting the urge to laugh. Didn't his statement from the night before express any foreshadowing? She must've not been listening, or she didn't take him seriously.... "Keep it up, and I'll start calling you Oliver." This made Shou laugh only a little. "But, alas, I believe I'm of the same problem." He admitted, raising his hands up into the air in surrender. "It's a good thing we woke up early. We can just slip on the clothes we had, head back to base, and do what we need in order to.... freshen up." He lowered his hands onto that statement. "You don't find it disgusting to wear the same clothes two days in a row?" Sayama asked incrediously. They were dirty! Not to mention they'd done it in them, but he wanted them to wear them again? Out of the question! "How about this. You were your dirty, smelly clothes, and go out and buy me some new ones." Shou cocked an eyebrow, a thoughtful frown on his face. "It's not like we're going to stay in these for the day. As a matter of fact, once we get ready, I can take us back to base without even having to take a step onto the sidewalk. No time will be wasted, and neither of us will have to stick with our dirty clothing." "... Fine." She relented finally. Embarrassed slightly, she searched the room for the clothing that they had so carelessly flung during last night's games. "So, what do you want to do today...?" She asked sullenly. Last night had sealed the deal. They were a thing. She really didn't know if that meant they were supposed to go on dates every night, or anything. Shou remained silent for a moment, turning his head back forward and looking thoughtful. "Well, I'm not sure, really...." He admitted, eyes drifting towards the direction of the bathroom. "We could go out for a while after we get ourselves prepared. Maybe I'll run into Anton on the way.... he was supposed to be coming last night, but...." A small smile crossed his face, and he chuckled shamelessly. "Well, you did distract me from the time...." "Oh, I'm sorry,'' I'' distracted you? I thought it was a mutual thing." Sayama rebuttled, her eyes narrowing. In the few seconds that had passed, she had already fully dressed herself. "Gosh, you're slow... Hurry up. And what's with you and this Anton person, anyway? You've already mentioned him several times. To Oliver and Angelika yesterday, and now you're talking about him today...." She leaned forward, grinning. "Is there something I should know about, love?" This made Shou cock an eyebrow, raising a hand out. In the pile that had been her clothing, his would have been close by and entangled with her. "Not really." He answered coolly. "He's just much more bearable than Oliver when it comes to social skills." "Oh, how disappointing..." The woman teased, displeased by the man's calm response to her hinting. "What's taking so long for you to get dressed? I can't stand to be in these clothes for very long. Oh, I understand, now. You want me to parade around in the streets naked, hm?" Her arms folded on her chest involuntarily. "Oh, I thought you would've at least decided to wash up before you even touched them, but...." "That makes perfect sense. Get myself clean and then put on dirty clothes." "....." Oh, screw it. It would just be for an instant, anyway. "Would you care to hand me my clothes....?" Shou asked politely, once again having her eyes into his direction. He felt slightly stupid now for saying the previous statement. Of course she would say something like that! But, there was really no point in arguing about this. The longer they stayed in the room, the more chance they would be caught running without paying. Now, she was irritated. "Oh, sorry honey, I didn't realize your legs were broken..." She muttered under her breath, bending over, picking up, and then tossing Shou the clothes. With a humph she blew the few strands of hair that had fallen over her face when she bent over. "Just get it on with, already..." It took only a few seconds for him to slip his clothes on. Then, as he was fixing his coat, he walked over to Sayama and grasped her hand, the other one placed within his pocket. Did he really need to say anything about it? It would be quick, and she wouldn't feel a thing. Closing his eyes, he concentrated his energy and went into a Shunpo, taking her with him. It took only a second for him to re-appear inside of his own room, releasing Sayama immediately. "Ladies first?" He offered, walking over to his own personal closet and searching for something to put on. Mentally, however, he winced. Maybe he should've bought something for her.... or maybe Angelika would've had something... Sayama had to admit, the suave way he had grabbed her hand had calmed her down. So cool, so sudden! He probably wouldn't take any notice of it, too -- that was what was why he was genuinely cool; he was cool without even trying! Mentally, she swooned. Physically, she gave a polite smile and walked to his closet with him. "I could just wear some of your clothes, I suppose... Angelika wears a suit. Do you have one?" This caught him off by surprise. He looked to her, eyes slightly widened and a slight blush spreading across his face. "W...well... I do, of course. Just choose what you want." The clothing choices weren't exactly limited, but they weren't the mall-number kind of clothing, either. And Sayama did so. She disappeared into his closet, sorting through his clothing collection, before finally finding a dress shirt, a suit jacket, a tie, some dress pants, and black shoes. "I'm going to go change in your bathroom," She stated calmly, shooting him a smile. "Don't peek on me while I'm in there!" Then, she slipped into the doorway and closed it. As she shut the door behind her, Shou let out a slight huff. "Peek?" He muttered under his breath. "I don't need to peek, considering how much I've seen of you already, my dear lady...." Chuckling, he sat down on the bed and waited patiently. With luck, the rest of them wouldn't notice that the two had just came in-- It was unfortunate that he had forgotten to shut his door. It was wide open. "Huey~" A male and cheery voice with a clear Russian accent came across his ears, and his eyes widened for a split second. He whirled his head, his pupils staring down a young man whose upper torso was sticking in his view in a slightly comical manner, his hand in a casual wave. The surprise, however, faded away immediately as the man took a leaning position onto the door way, his arms folded across his chest. "I see you've managed to sneak in while the other two were not aware." Shou remarked, a calm yet casual look on his face. "Same for you, my friend...." Was the reply, followed by a grin. "It seems I've missed a lot in my absence...." His eyes casually drifted towards the room where the water of the showerhead could be heard. Steam began escaping from under the door. Clearly, Sayama could be heard humming in the shower, her voice outstandingly feminine as she did so. Every once in a while, there'd be a low bang or something of the sort, presumably from the woman hitting he elbows in an unfamiliar shower. As the man walked within the room, he allowed himself to stop immediately, his nose wrinkling. "Ugh!" He muttered, stepping back out of re-coil. The smell of sweat and body odor was all too clear. "What have you been doing with yourself? You smell like a dead pig!" Instinctively, Shou flinched a little, but otherwise kept his cool. He folded his arms across his chest and switched positions onto the bed, laying on his back. He remained silent. The sounds of Sayama's humming was the only thing filling both of their ears. There wasn't need for explanation, given the current situation. It would take a moron not to figure out what had happened... And sure enough.... "...wait a minute." The man's voice seemed slightly shocked. "Y...you mean that you, and whoever was in there...." "Yes." "And Hartmann, of all people, let you do it?" "She let us go out on a date, but I don't think she knows about what we did the night before just yet." "Ah~!" A mixture of amusement and happiness crossed Anton's face, and he leaned back slightly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "So you were hiding right under everyone's noses! I never would've pictured you to be such a sly fox...!" He said teasingly, though it did hold compliment within the tone. The sound of the shower water running ceased. Now the only noise was Sayama's humming, and the only thing she was feeling was the urgency to leave the bathroom and reunite with Shou. She hadn't yet noticed that they had a guest. A russian guest. Another male guest, and that it would be inappropriate the leave the bathroom in her underwear, which is what she was about to do. "Ah...." Immediately, Shou rolled over back onto solid ground and stood on his own two feet again. "I suppose that is my cue." He stated, stretching himself out. "Soon as she gets back out, I'm getting in." Sayama strolled out of the shower. Her hair was drooped over her face, and by the time she cleared it, she was standing directly in front of Anton; the clothing she was set to wair slung neatly over her shoulder. She was only wearing her bra and panties. They were white. Sayama's entrance, needless to say, had cut off anything Anton was about to say at the moment as a retaliatory response. In fact, both of the men's eyes had been wired to her body. Shou's was more out of surprise that she would do such a bold thing. But Anton's reason for doing so was because.... well, obviously, she was in her underwear, more skin showing to him than in a bag of potato.... skins. He knew what he was doing was very wrong due to the fact that the girl was taken, but he just couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from her! SLAP! After realizing the magnitude of what was happening, Sayama instinctively raised her hand, slapped the man, screamed, then ran back into the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind her. With a click, the door locked. That had been enough to bring Anton out of his stupor, his figure stumbling to the ground in surprise and disbelief. Slowly, he raised a hand to his affected cheek. "That.... is something you don't see everyday...." He murmured dully, snapping Shou out of his own trance as well. His eyes drifted to his fallen friend for a moment, then to the door. He had assumed that she had heard them speaking. Obviously, he was quite wrong. "PERVERT! Why is every man here a pervert..? First Oliver, and now this... Ugh, I can't take this! I'm going to talk to Angelika about you both; not that she'll listen... She'll probably tell me to suck it up... Fu--... Freak''ing lesbian..." The noise from the bathroom stopped for a few moments. After a slight pause, there was a light rapping on the door, to get the attention of the two outside the bathroom. "Hey!... I'm... sorry. For slapping you. ''IT DIDN'T HELP THAT YOU WERE UNDRESSING ME WIT--''... Uhm... Yes. Sorry." "Miss...." Anton said slowly and in a protesting manner, slowly allowing himself to stand up. "It did not help either that you came out here in only your ''underwear.... but, my apologies." The man scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed for what had just taken place. "But to compare me with that svoloch? You really wound me." "Makoto-san...." Shou piped up, looking around for a moment. "You didn't happen to bring your clothes in there with you.... did you....?" "Eh... Eheheh... It must have... fallen off my shoulder... Would you mind bringing them to me, love?" With a nod, Shou quickly walked off of the bed, snatched up the clothing, and stopped beside the door. He opened the door up just a peek for the clothes could fit through, then stuck the fabric material through for her to reach. Her hasty fingers quickly snatched then from Shou's hands, then re-closed the door. "Thanks... I'll be out in a moment. Erm, so... Mr...? Nevermind; Shou's friend, why don't you tell me more about yourself? How long have you known Yoshizawa?" "It's Anton, madam..." The Russian spoke, keeping his voice polite. His eyes drifted to Shou, who had maneuvered himself over to the closet in order to grab what was needed. "And I've known him ever since he's joined this band of mercenaries. But what about you?" It couldn't be as long as that, after all. "Uhm... a few days, at best." Sayama responded, chuckling to herself. But he'd never slept with Shou, for as long as they'd known each other! It just showed how attractive Sayama was. "Well...." A warm and teasing smile came across Anton's face, and he flopped on the bed with his back to it. His hands were folded behind his head. "For only a few days for something to blossom....well, I must say a lot must've happened in such a short time...." The door opened, revealing Sayama with dried hair, wearing Shou's suit. Her figure stretched the man-made suit (not made to accomadate a woman's figure) to the seams, but otherwise, she was fine. "I'm sure he'll tell you all about it later. Come, honey, I want to go see how Angelika is doing." Shou huffed. "As much as I'd love to...." He retorted calmly, gathering up his own clothing and walking past her. "I prefer not to smell like a pig." Either she had forgotten that he stunk of the same things that she had, or she just didn't care and wanted to give him hell. Either way, it wasn't happening. "Fine, then I'll see you there. Mr.Anton, would you mind escorting me to Ms.Hartmann? Oh! That reminds me! Did you hear what happened to her?" Quite suddenly, she hooked her arm around Shou's friend's, and began pulling him towards the door. "Take me to her, and I'll tell you about it!" This startled Anton a little, but it surprised him even more when he was "escorted" out through the door. "Wait a minute, I don't even think she--" However, he abruptly cut himself off. Surely the scream that the woman had produced woke everyone up! He was amazed it didn't bring one or both of them storming through the door. "Oh, wait... never mind. She's wide awake by now, thanks to you...." "Is that supposed to be an insult? I couldn't imagine she got any sleep, considering she no longer has a right eye..." Sayama hummed worriedly, moving a little bit faster. Respectively, she wasn't as flexible with the hooked arm as she was with Shoul. She wasn't leaning on Anton's shoulder; she wasn't holding his hand while they were walking. Just the hooked arm kept them attached to each other. "Wait.... what?" Anton didn't think he was going to get a response, as they were nearing the main room. There, the other two members of the V-14 had already been situated, clearly having been woken up by the noises. Angelika was sitting cross-legged, her remaining eye closed as she was taking her time drinking a cup of coffee. However, it opened up once the two came near, his gaze feasting itself on Anton first. "Ah, Semenov. I see you've managed to come in surprise." She remarked pleasantly, lowering the cup for a moment. "How was it?" "Well--" However, Anton stopped his words at the sight of the black eyepatch covering the eye that Sayama had gouged out, shock administering itself on him. "Miss Hartmann! What happened to you?" He asked immediately, voice filled with concern. "You got an eyepatch already? When did you have time to get one? Don't tell me you left and got one last night; you were supposed to be resting!" Sayama immediately began to fuss; had she removed the bandaging herself, too? The eye probably wasn't even fully healed yet! Angelika held a hand up. "Relax, Frau Makoto." She answered, removing the eyepatch. A smaller version of the bandage was underneath. "I applied it when I was certain the bleeding had stopped. I'm not new to the concept of medical aid, after all...." She set the eyepatch back in its place. "Oh..." Sayama relented. "Well, once again, I'm sorry..." The girl released Anton's arm, and shuffled her feet slightly. "Shou's washing up, at the moment." She stated, looking to the side sheepishly. "We, um, didn't get a chance to shower at the hotel..." "So you did it....?" Angelika closed her eye once again, keeping her voice formal. She took another sip of the cup, giving off a rather deceptive air of indifference. However, she could guess Sayama's feelings right then. After all, she did say she didn't like kids. However, if they had, she was unsure of how to react. Would it hinder her....? Or could she pay no mind to it without consequence? Sayama could also accurately guess Angelika's train of thought. "We used protection, love." She stated seriously, nodding. "Just because I've been seeing the guy for a few days doesn't mean I already plan to spend the rest of my life with him. A child would lead to something permanent, and I'm not exactly sure where I want us to go right now." "Understandable...." Angelika gave a slight nod into her direction in acknowledgement. "Ahem..." Anton cleared his throat politely, having calmed down a little. "This is great, and all.... but.... what happened to your eye, boss?" His question made the German woman look over at his direction again for a moment. "Sayama was so kind as to teach me a lesson in not to make offending jokes." She remarked, a bit of humor in her voice. "Or at least laugh at them..." "I believe I may have overreacted a little..." Sayama shot another worried glance at Angelika. "How's it holding up? Are you able to get around fine? You lost a lot of blood..." "Do not worry." Angelika assured her. "If I were in worse condition, I would not be sitting here right now. But, either way, I do have something to ask you about what you said. Tell me...." She set the cup down, the container being half-empty. "You say you're unsure about where to go with your relationship. Does that mean you know everything there is to know about Yoshizawa?" "If I knew everything there is to know about Yoshizawa, our relationship would be boring. A girl likes a little surprise; a little mystery. Wouldn't you agree, Angelika?" "Then, perhaps...." Angelika raised her hand in a motioning manner for emphasis. "There's still more ground for you to cover. All you need to do is explore. There's nothing that's "supposed" to happen, nothing to be forced. It comes naturally to people." "Wait, what?" Sayama asked. Her expression became shocked with her realization of what Angelika was thinking, and her hands shot foward; shaking in an objectional manner. "Dear, I'm not saying I'm dissatisfied with our relationship, or that I'm dissatisfied with Shou; I'm just saying that I'd prefer not to have little Shou and Sayama Juniors running around when we've only been on one date." "Oh, I'm not saying that...." Angelika answered smoothly. "It's just a bit of advice for you, since you are so unsure about what to do next. It's times like that people take the route of letting feelings think for themselves, and in situations like yours, to great effect." Sayama stood there in silence for a moment. She had no idea what Angelika was talking about. At all. Somehow, she had lost the train of conversation. "So! Anton! Where did you say you were from? Russia? I heard it's cold in Russia. Tell me about it." Angelika shook her head sagely, picking up her cup once again. Some people never understood her, of all people.... oh, well. The previously silent Anton cocked an eyebrow in her direction. "Actually, it's been quite a long time. I don't remember my times in Russia very well...." He admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But I do know that it was actually quite a good life... at least, when I was alive." He really wasn't prepared to make any sort of conversation within this type of environment! Why'd she suddenly have to direct the conversation to-- "Well, thank you for serving as our rooster this fine morning, Banshee. Should we perch you on top of the house from now on?" Of course, the one who interrupted his thoughts was none other than Oliver, who was leaning against the nearby doorway with his arm. His face was contorted into a scowl, and he held a rather annoyed glare in Sayama's direction. This time, Sayama allowed herself to completely ignore him. She wasn't in the mood to deal with such a man; besides, she had three lovely people right in front of her that she could make conversation with! "Well... Angelika, is there anything coming up? Missions, or things of the like?" Angelika simply shook her head once more. "We have an entire week off for missions." She responded, closing her eye once more. "Sorry, but we don't have much to do other than the norm." "What would the norm be?" The German woman shrugged, raising her hands up as well as her shoulders. "That is up to us, depending on our normal activities of the day." She answered, setting her cup down for a moment. She crossed her legs, sitting back into the chair and folding her hands behind her head. "Just act natural." "Ah!" Immediately, Shou's eyes lit up and he comically pointed a finger towards the sky out of the expression of realization. "That reminds me. I''...." He leveled his stare towards his girlfriend, pressing a hand to his chest. "Owe ''you some clothes, don't I? Shall we go out and buy some? It's only the least I can do...." He gave her squinted and closed eyes and a warm smile to emphasize his attitude at the moment. "Oh!" Sayama exclaimed, pressing a hand to her mouth in surprise. How could she have forgotten so easily? Quickly, she stepped away from Angelika and towards Shou, hooking her own arm around his. "I believe you do! Though, I don't know the area, so you'll have to show me around..." "Of course." Shou, in a display of courtesy, leaned over to kiss his lover on the cheek. Then, he pulled away, walking forward towards the door. He, of course, would allow her to walk at her own pace. After all, it wasn't at all right to just drag her along with him every step of the way! That would be so.... abusive! He pushed open the door for her, allowing them both to step out into the outside world once again. "Ah...!" Sayama enjoyed the burst of fresh air that greeted her once she was outside. She looked around, inspecting her surroudings. They were still in Soul Society - that much was obvious. She found it a bit strange that such a mercenary group didn't have access to the human world. Surely, their pursuers would be less numerous there! But, she digressed. She wasn't their leader. They could do as they pleased. "So! Tell me about your friend... Anton."